


Breathe You In

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Drunken Confessions, First Kiss, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24136516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: Buck gets drunk at a party, and some long hidden feelings come out.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 35
Kudos: 464





	Breathe You In

**Author's Note:**

> This has been on my mind for days, and would not leave me alone. So I finally had to write it.

The night is warm with a gentle breeze blowing when Buck steps out onto the patio. It's not uncomfortable. In fact, it's pretty pleasant, made better by the company he's in. 

Most of them are inside, the party still in full swing. Buck had been in the middle of it until a few minutes ago. After hours of drinking and dancing he'd had to take a break and get some air.

The door opens and he smiles when Eddie walks out, taking the seat next to him. "I was wondering where you ran off to."

"Needed some air," Buck tells him. He squints his eyes, trying to focus on Eddie. "But apparently that did not stop the spinning."

And yeah, he might be a little drunk. 

"How many shots did you let Hen talk you into?" Eddie asks him.

"Don't know," Buck mumbles. "Six? Ten?"

Eddie sighs, "Right, I think we should get you home."

"Noooo," Buck whines. "I don't want to leave you."

"You're not," Eddie assures him, helping him to his feet. "You're coming home with me."

The world spins and he leans into Eddie, tucking his face into his neck. "You smell good."

Eddie laughs, "Okay. Yeah we really need to get you to bed."

Buck listens as Buck talks to Bobby and Athena by the door, and belated registers Bobby telling him goodnight.

"Goodnight Bobby!" Buck calls as Eddie leads him out the door. "Eddie's taking me to bed." Next to him, Eddie coughs. Buck frowns and blindly reaches up to pat his chest. "Okay?"

"Yeah I'm good," Eddie tells him. "Let's just get you home."

Buck goes in and out of consciousness the whole drive to Eddie's house. He comes around when the world tilts and he finds himself being held. By Eddie. Eddie's carrying him. 

He sighs and leans his head on Eddie's shoulder. "You take such good care of me."

"Always will," Eddie replies. 

Buck looks up at him when Eddie puts him down on the bed. 

"Can you change yourself?" Eddie asks him. 

Buck tries to pull his shirt over his head, only to wind up getting caught up in it. He laughs to himself. "I'm stuck."

"So you are," Eddie says. A moment later, the shirt is gone and Eddie's pulling another over his head, with much better luck than Buck would have had alone. 

Buck's hands move to his pants and he somehow manages to tug them down and kick them away. 

"Small mercies," Eddie mumbles. 

Buck's heart aches at the words, a longing filling his bones. Along with a realization. Eddie doesn't want him. He tells himself that's okay as he falls back onto the bed and his eyes slip closed. It has to be. 

"I love you," Buck mumbles into the pillow as sleep starts to claim him. "I wish you could love me too."

He doesn't see how Eddie sits there frozen, staring at his still form. Or the way he paces around the room, hands running through his hair, unable to keep from looking back at Buck. 

"Fuck."

* * *

Buck groans as the last dregs of sleep leave him and his eyes open to the too bright room. He needs water. And coffee. And some tylenol before his head splits open. 

He slips out of bed, careful not to wake Eddie, and pads quietly into the kitchen. He's just gotten the coffee started when awareness hits him like a brick to the face. 

He'd slept in Eddie's bed last night. Not only that he'd… shit. He'd told Eddie he loved him. 

"Oh fuck."

There's a snort from the doorway and Buck's head snaps around to see Eddie there. He raises an eyebrow as he walks into the kitchen and grabs two mugs from the cabinet. Then some tylenol and two bottles of water, one that he sits next to Buck. He doesn't speak the whole time, and Buck has never been more aware of silence between them. 

Buck watches him as he pops two pills into his mouth and downs half the water in one go. When Eddie meets his gaze, he snaps himself out of it and grabs his own tylenol and water. 

Soon after the coffee machine beeps and Buck busies himself with getting their coffee ready. He's grateful for the distraction. He has no idea what Eddie remembers from last night. And if he does remember how he feels about it. 

He's not pissed, that much is clear but he doesn't seem happy either. 

Buck hands him his coffee and leans back against the counter, facing him. Eddie takes a long drink before lowering his glass. "We need to talk."

And there it is. Four words that show Eddie does remember. "Nothing good ever comes from that," Buck attempts to joke.

Eddie sighs, "Buck."

Buck puts his coffee down and crosses his arms, suddenly feeling exposed in Eddie's brightly lit kitchen. "Look, I'm sorry, okay?"

Eddie blinks, "You're sorry?"

"About what I said last night," Buck continues. "I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable. I didn't mean to. Please don't hate me."

Eddie puts his cup down and steps closer, face pinched in confusion. "Hate you? Why would I hate you?"

"Because I got drunk and told you I love you?"

Eddie stares at him a moment, eyes moving across his face. "Did you mean it?"

Buck knows he could deny it, but part of him doesn't want to. He owes it to Eddie and himself to be honest. "I did. I'm in love with you."

"I could never hate you for that," Eddie tells him. "Never."

"So this won't change things?"

"Oh it will," Eddie tells him. Buck's stomach drops, at least until Eddie smiles. "I mean, things usually change when people start dating."

It's Buck's turn to be surprised. "Wait what?"

"Only if you want to, of course."

"Of course I want to," Buck rushes to say. "I just didn't know you felt the same way."

"Of course I feel the same way, Buck." Eddie's smile softens as he cups Buck's face between his hands and leans in, kissing him softly. "I love you. Is that clear now?"

"I don't know," Buck says, grin teasing at his lips. "I might need more proof."

Eddie nods, face serious. "Of course. We can't have any doubt in that head of yours."

Eddie kisses him again, slow and deep. There are definitely no doubts no. That doesn't mean he wants to stop kissing Eddie. Not now, not ever.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments make my day 💜  
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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